Program Overview

EDSC601 - Working with Children and Young People: Ethics, Values and Practices

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

At a time of rapid ongoing change in society and education, the role of an educator or allied professional with specialist knowledge, understanding, skills, values, and beliefs related to supporting and protecting children and young people in educational and institutional contexts is of critical importance. In this unit, within the Safeguarding Children and Young People specialisation of the Graduate Certificate in Education and Master of Education, students will develop knowledge and understanding about the importance of wellbeing, rights, safety, dignity, and the inclusion of student perspectives in addressing and preventing risk in educational and institutional contexts. Students will also focus on responding to concerns, developing plans and strategies to support children and young people's participation in educational and institutional contexts, and developing proactive and preventative frameworks within the broader community. Therefore, the aim of this unit is to support students in developing the required advanced knowledge, understanding, and skills they need in order to support and protect all children and young people in educational and institutional contexts.

Campus Offering

No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.

Prerequisites

Nil

Learning Outcomes

To successfully complete this unit, you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

1. Articulate a synthesised knowledge of the mandates of key international treaties and national and state policies relevant to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in educational contexts. (APST: HA/L 4.4, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2)
   • Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC7, GC9, GC11, GC12
2. Identify the prevalence, risk factors, and indicators of harm and abuse in order to critically reflect upon, review, and evaluate current practices. (APST: HA/L 4.4, 6.2, 7.2)
   • Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC11
3. Apply an understanding of the values and practices that contribute to the wellbeing and safety of children and young people through strategic, preventative, and responsive planning with a particular focus on including the perspectives of educational professionals, children, and young people. (APST: HA/L 4.4, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2)
   • Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC3, GC4, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11, GC12

Unit Content

Topics will include:

• Module One: Context, values, and beliefs; safety and wellbeing of children and young people
  • Topic 1: Reconsidering childhood
  • Topic 2: What role the child's voice? (Part 1)
• Module Two: Understanding child abuse in the context of school
  • Topic 1: The contemporary nature and scope of child abuse
  • Topic 2: Organisational factors and their influence
• Module Three: Identifying and responding to child abuse within the school context: Inclusive approaches
  • Topic 1: New and emerging risks for children and young people
  • Topic 2: What role the child's voice? (Part 2)

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

In order to successfully complete this unit, postgraduate students need to complete and submit two graded assessment tasks.

1. Assessment Task 1 (based on Modules 1 and 2)
   • Select a contemporary issue related to safeguarding children/young people from abuse and/or risk in schools.
   • Prepare a Paper and Presentation for school leadership and/or colleagues that explores the issue and provides professional advice.
   • Weighting: 50%
   • Learning Outcomes: LO1, LO2
2. Assessment Task 2 (Based on Module 3)
   • Review the effectiveness of current practices and understandings of creating a culture of safety within your school (or the system).
   • Examine and critique the values and ethical perspectives evident in these practices and understandings.
   • Identify and justify with reference to relevant contemporary literature, possible opportunities by outlining your vision for improving and fostering a culture of safety for students.
   • Weighting: 50%
   • Learning Outcomes: LO2, LO3

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

This unit may be offered in online, on-campus, or in blended learning modes. The use of Canvas will be integral to the unit in exploring concepts and testing understandings and propositions. Strategies used may include lectures and reading, self-directed learning, participant critical reflection against relevant professional standards, case studies, engagement with the literature, dialogue and interrogation of concepts, theories, and practices, and the application to current professional contexts.

Representative Texts and References

• Australian Children's Commissioners and Guardians (2013). Submission to Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Issues Paper 3 – Child safe institutions Principles for child safety in organisations.
• Australian Government Department of Education and Training (2017a). National safe schools framework.
• Australian Government, Department of Education and Training. (2017b). Student wellbeing hub.
• Allen, K., Kern, M. L., Vella-Brodrick, D., & Waters, L. (2017). School values: A comparison of academic motivation, mental health promotion and school belonging with student achievement.
• Mathews, B. (2017). Optimising implementation of reforms to better prevent and respond to child sexual abuse in institutions: Insights from public health, regulatory theory, and Australia's Royal Commission.
• Powell, M. A., & Graham, A. (2017). Wellbeing in schools: Examining the policy-practice nexus.
• Rigby, K. (2017). How Australian parents of bullied and non-bullied children see their school responding to bullying.
• Smallbone, S., Marshall, W. L., & Wortley, R. (2013). Preventing child sexual abuse: Evidence, policy and practice.
• Victorian Government Department of Human Services Melbourne. (2013). Child sexual abuse: Understanding and responding: for professionals working with children who have experienced sexual abuse.
• Wright, K., Swain, S., & McPhillips, K. (2017). The Australian Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse.

Credit Points

10

Year

2026